Jeff
Ward may have backed down from racing on the Daytona banking,
but Paris Hilton was ready! Unfortunately AMA tech wouldn't
pass her scooter with mirrors and a girl's gotta look good
when she pulls in to Victory Circle. Right?

Mladin
and the new generation Suzuki GSXR1000 kept on winning today at
Dayona.

The now shorted
15 lap Daytona Parts Unlimited Superbike race
played out all too quickly before and estimated 5,000 spectators
on saturday morning , possibly the smallest fan turnout ever at
Daytona Speedway in the last 30 years. The relegation of the premier
Superbike class to a shortened sideshow contested by just 3 factory
teams, was due in part to tire safety concerns imposed by the
banked Daytona Speedway, and the the multiple bike classes structured
by AMA Pro Racing which diversified and eliminated factory full
factory fields in all the classes, particularly Superbike and
the now showcased “Extreme” 200 miller which followed.

The Superbike
final was followed an hour later by the once world famous Daytona
200 Miler, now relegated to a non-spectactular, essentially
non-event featuring the AMA's
modified 600cc Formula Xtreame class contested only by American
Honda with its 3 factory Honda / Team Erion Racing riders of Miguel
Duhamel, Jake Zemke and Kurtis Roberts. Only 2 private support
team riders, Vincent Havoseck on the Emgo Suzuki GSXR600 and Josh
Hayes on the Attack Kawasaki ZXR600 were able to hang with the
factory Hondas after the start, but they both retired early with
mechanical problems just 10 laps into the 58 lap race.

The remainder
of the heavy populated 62 rider grid in the American Honda
sponsored Daytona 200 was comprised of privateer riders
on essentially stock 600cc SuperSport class bikes who were unable
to match the pace of the American Honda front runners on what
were essentially highly developed and very expensive 600cc Superbikes,
and the other riders fell to being lapped by the factory Honda
race leaders just just 4 laps into the race. The race would play
out just as expected with American Honda’s Miguel
duHamel taking the win, and Erion Honda’s Kurtis
Roberts doing an excellent job in his return to AMA racing
(after 2 disasterous years in MotoGP with his father's Proton
team) to hold off Jake Zemke for 2nd in a 1-2-3
team American Honda CBR6000 sweep.

Suzuki
Factory Riders lead by Rookie Ben Spies Dominate Superbike PracticeWednesday Morning Mar. 9th- Yoshimura Suzuki's
Superbike rookie Ben Spies continued his impressive form displayed
in the preseason by logging the fastest lap of the opening AMA
Superbike practice of 2005. The Texan ripped off a 1:40.505 around
the revised Daytona International Speedway despite less than ideal
conditionsto set quickst times in practice this morning before
rain closed the track activities.

Spies said
afterwards, “It’s kind of slick out there, but it
was good to get out there and get up to speed. We actually had
a little problem with the bike, and when we get that fixed, we’ll
drop some time off for sure. But it was good just to get out there
and look at the track.”

Just behind
the 20-year-old Spies on the on thetime charts were his two veteran
Yoshimura Suzuki teammates, Mat Mladin (1:40.933) and Aaron Yates
(1:41.166). Former 2003 World Superbike champ Neil Hodgson was
next best (1:41.425), proving that he’s quickly getting
up to speed with both his Ducati Austin 999F05 and the intimidating
racetrack.

The Superbike/Superstock
class restriction is a thing of the past (In order to fill
the deleated grids in AMA Superbike-
Ed), and a number of Superstock aces decided to utilize the
Superbike practice session. Not surprisingly, they had a significant
impact on the charts; Yamaha USA’s Aaron Gobert actually
ended up the fifth fastest man on the track, registering ahead
of sixth-placed Jake Zemke on the American Honda CBR1000RR. Team
M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May was a fairly remarkable seventh,
followed by fellow Superstocker Tommy Hayden and factory-supported
Superbike runners Josh Hayes (Attack Kawasaki) and Jason Pridmore
(Jordan Motorsports).

The teams take
shelter from the rain in the new Daytona Garages built primarily
for the Speedway's big money maker NASCAR. The AMA does not race
in the rain because of the safety concerns associated with many
of America's older race tracks, and the added cost to the privateer
riders of necessary wet weather tires.

AMA
National Roadrace Activities at Daytona Speedway rained out Wednesday
Wednesday
Afternoon Mar. 9th, 2005 - The Wednesday afternoon schedule
of the opening round of the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship at
Daytona International Speedway has officially been rained out.
AMA Pro Racing made the decision to cancel the rest of the day’s
program just after 3:00pm with the afternoon’s persistent
rain shower showing no signs of letting up. The Thursday and Saturday
schedules will remain unaltered. Grid positions for the Pro Honda
Oils Supersport and Repsol Superstock contests will be based on
1. last year’s points standings, 2. pre-entries, 3. and
post-entries.

Official
Anouncement:
Due to the wet track conditions, all remaining practice and qualifying
sessions have been cancelled for Wednesday afternoon. As per the
Supplemental Regulations published for this event, race grids
will be determined using the system detailed below. Should circumstances
prevent qualifying from being run, riders for each affected class
will be gridded as follows:
• Pre-entered riders based on current point standings (in
this case, current points are from the final standing from the
2004 season)
• Pre-entered riders without points by date of entry
• Post-entered riders by order of entry
• At the option of the AMA, past champions, and/or riders
from FIM World Superbike and MotoGP may be added to the field.

Mat
Mladin Aces Superbike Superpole for Saturday's Shortened NationalThursday 10th - Mat Mladin,
the all-time AMA Superbike pole king, claimed the 38th of his
career today at Daytona International Speedway with a 1:38.232
while leaving his rivals shaking their heads in astonishment of
his frightening pace. “It went good. Everyone can see we
have a great motorcycle this year. To have three Suzukis on the
front row is amazing. It just goes to show the strength of the
Suzuki, and what they’ve given to us for this year’s
race season. I think you’re going to see a lot more of (the
Suzukis at the front).

“I
couldn’t have done a better lap. ‘38.2 is all I had.
I got a little bit of help from Neil -- a little bit of a draft
and a couple tenths freebie. It was a good lap for us, and it’s
nice to get pole for the first race. I’m looking forward
to getting the race done on Saturday and getting out and doing
some more testing to sort this motorcycle out a bit better. It’s
definitely working well, but we’ve got some work to do before
to get to some of the other racetracks. I think we’re all
looking forward to the season.”

Once the Yoshimura Suzuki ace ripped off an incredible 1:38.232,
even his closest competitors knew they were beat. Mladin’s
teammate, Ben Spies, who qualified second with a 1:38.963, said,
“We definitely wanted pole, but we came in and saw that
he did a ’38.2. I didn’t think we had anything for
that.”

Ducati's
Neil Hodgson qualified third in his AMA Superbike debut with a
1:39.884 aboard his Austin 999F05 and was all that prevented the
Yoshteam from qualifying 1-2-3, as third factory Suzuki star Aaron
Yates picked up the final spot on the front row, just fractions
slower than the Brit (1:39.894). Hodgsen remarked about Mladin's
Pole, “I don’t know where Mat found a shortcut. That
lap time is very, very impressive. I don’t think most people
realize just how quick that is.”

Challenging
Mladin for the unofficial ‘hero of qualifying’ honor
was Team M4 EMGO Suzuki newcomer Geoff May. The Georgian has been
dropping jaws all week long, but increased his profile even further
by qualifying his GSX-R1000 in fifth, ahead of all three factory
Hondas and a number of other imposing rider/bike combos. Showing,
as the Alstare Corona team proved in World Superbike 2 weeks earlier,
that the newest generation Suzuki GSXR1000, even in the hands
of a privateer teams, was even more potent than a factory kitted
Honda CBR1000RR. With Mladin’s shocking Pole speed, what
stands out most was just how quick the brand-new GSX-R1000s are
already.

Joining May
on the second row will be American Honda teammates Miguel DuHamel
and Jake Zemke, as well as Attack Kawasaki’s Josh Hayes.
The renewed depth of the premier class is clearly evident on the
grid sheet; the third row features second Ducati Austin entry
Eric Bostrom, Jordan Motorsports’ Jason Pridmore, Erion
Honda’s Kurtis Roberts, and Pridmore’s teammate, Steve
Rapp.

The 15-lap,
70k AMA Superbike season opener will be contested starting at
11:15am Saturday morning.

Hondson,
in his first visit to Daytona since 10 years ago, finished just
2.5 seconds behind Mladin.
Superbike National to Mladin, Hodgson posts a Strong 2md for DucatiSaturday 11th - Matt Mladin
was the favorite going in to Saturday morning's Parts Unlimited
sponsored AMA Superbike race having posted a qualifying time some
1,5 seconds on Thursday, then backing it up in Saturday morning
warmup with a lap time 1 second quicker with race tires than anyone
else. His closest contender was former 2003 World Superbike Champion
Hodgson who would start next to him on the front row, followed
by the Suzuki’s of Spies and Yates. Somewhat surprisingly
the American Honda CBR1000RR bikes of Miguel duHamel, Jake Zemke
and Kurtis Roberts were back on row two and not in the hunt, the
team not being able to afford HRC built lease bikes any longer,
and relegated to build their bike from stock with aftermarket
parts.

" I’m
hungry for ‘05 for sure, maybe more than ever," said
Mladin just before the start. “ Suzuki really stepped up
to the plate with the new motorcycle and we’ve dome some
good things to it. It’s looking very positive for the moment.
We’ve got a motorcycle that, from the first race is already
far ahead of the last motorcycle we finished the last race season
on in 2004.

“And I’m pumped. I’ve worked out hard at home
and lost losts of weight. I’m where I was at age 16-17,
which is tough when you’re coming up on age 33.”

The Superbike
race start off pit row saw Neil Hodgson off the line first and
cut his Ducati quickly over to the first turn apex, just clipping
Mladin’s front wheel and almost putting the Aussie on the
pavement. Matt baked quickly to avoid hard contact, then got back
on the gas to follow Hodgson through the Turn One with team mate
Yates on his rear Dunlop. Down the back pit straight and into
the Horseshoe Corner, both Mladin and Yates slipped inside Hodgson
to take the point. The two Suzuki riders would then trade the
lead a couple of times in the next two laps as Hodgson struggled
to find his pace, and was passed by Miguel Honda for 3rd, with
Ben Spies back in 5th. Josh Hayes on the very competitive Attack
Kawasaki ZX10 was out on lap 2 with mechanical problems.

The race
quickly shook out on lap 5 with Mladin pulling away from Yates,
and then Hodgson found his pace and repassed both Duhamel and
Yates to return to 2nd place, about 2 seconds down on the race
leader. Things would stay that way pretty much for the remaining
10 laps of the race. The order at the mid-way point was Yates,
Hodgson 3.2 seconds behind, then Yates, DuHamel, Spies, Zemke,
Geoff May, Jason Pridmore, Roberts, and Steve Rapp.

The other
Ducati Corse team rider Eric Bostrom was back in a disappointing
11th place behind three privateers on less developed production
bikes. Last year’s excuse that Eric was the sole rider on
the Ducati Austin team and didn’t have the all the help
needed to set up his bike couldn’t be an excuse any longer.
Neil Hodgsen had tested Eric twice before this weeks race to help
set up the bikes, and now Eric was running 2.5 seconds off Hodgson’s
pace on the exact same bike. Unfortunately Ducati Corse had signed
Eric to a 2-year contract last year, and will now have to suffer
with his lack luster performances for another season. Just as
Ducati and Honda suffered previously with his brother Ben..

The short
race finally saw a bit of action starting around lap 10 as Jake
Zemke got his Honda on the move, passing both Ben Spies, and then
a lap later team mate Duhamel to move into 4th. Then Spies found
the rythm he had been missing up until then and went on the charge.
When Duhamel and Zemke got tangled up in back markers and missed
their line into the back chicane, Spies moved into 3rd place and
held it to the finish.

“We
got a really bad start, and from the middle of the race Ifelt
real uncomfortable,’ explained Spies afterwards. “I
had a big gap to catch Aaron (Yates) and i didn’t think
i could make it up. Then the Hondas, we got in traffic and they
went straight (at the chicane) and I said ‘All Right! (Ben
now finding himself sitting in 4th). If i want to get on the podium
i better get with it.’ I just put my head down, got in the
1.39s and just caught Aaron on the last lap. It sucks for him
when it’s that draft pass on the banking (coming off the
Turn 4 banking going to the Finish Line) and you’re just
setting him up to draft past at the finish line.”

Matt Mladin
took his 4th Daytona Superbike win and postey his 39th AMA Superbike
victory, followed by Neil Hodgson on the Ducati splitting the
two other Yosh Suzuki riders Spies and Yates, then Zemke, Duhamel,
Jason Pridmore on the Team Jordan Suzuki, Geoff May, Kurtis Roberts
and Steve Rapp.

“ We’re
really happy with the victory here today. The new GSXR1000, what
can you say, winning right out of the box. The next race we’re
really looking forward to as well. We will be doing more testing,
the bike will be even better, and we’re really looking forward
to getting into the season, “ said the race winner.

Neil Hodgson
was just as happy with his 2nd place on the 999F05 Ducati. “This
track is so different -really weird. I wasn’t looking forward
to the race. But i’ve got to be consistent in the Championship.
i got 2nd and pretty good points here. I’m really looking
forward to getting into the Championship now.

“We’ve
got 3 tests (before the next National at Barber April 23-24rd),
we’ve got loads of things to test. Ducati in italy has been
working so hard. They got caught off guard (This season with the
GSXRs in SBK and AMA) so they’ll be shipping some stuff
out even for next week to test -some World Superbike parts, so
we’re only going to get stronger!”

Yamaha
Unviels Rossi and Edwards' new YSR-M1SMarch
7th - The new 2005-specification Gauloises Yamaha Team
YZR-M1s were displayed for the first time in their new livery
today, during a press conference attended by Valentino Rossi and
Colin Edwards. The reigning World Champion and his new team-mate
were the guests of honour at Yamaha’s ‘2005 Motor
Sports Press Conference’, which took place in Tokyo this
morning. Team Director Davide Brivio and Senior Management representatives
from Yamaha Motor Company joined the two riders on stage to talk
about Yamaha’s plans for MotoGP in 2005 and beyond.

Valentino
Rossi, now in his second season as a Yamaha rider, talked about
his year so far and his goals for the forthcoming season. “We
have done a lot of test runs during the off-season. Things aren’t
quite 100% yet, but the machine and the engine are already much
better than last year. It’s nice to see the M1 in its final
2005 livery. I hope I can win the title again this year on this
new bike, but winning is never easy! I was very happy to win nine
rounds in last year’s Championship and I think that is a
good target for this year too. I hope everyone will be cheering
for me!”

Rossi’s
new team-mate Colin Edwards, who recently turned 31, spoke about
his return to Yamaha after a seven-year absence. “I was
last with Yamaha in the 1998 season in the World Superbike Championship
and I am very happy to be back. I saw how good the team and machine
were last year, so I was excited when I got the offer to come
back to the Yamaha side. I am also glad that there will be a US
round at Laguna Seca this year for the first time in a while.
I hope to have a bit of an advantage there, but I will be giving
my best shot in all the races.”

Team Director
Davide Brivio, who enters his fourth season as the Yamaha Factory
Team Director, commented on the new bike and the task facing the
riders. “We’re very pleased with the look and design
of the new bike, as well as with its performance so far during
testing. This is going to be a very exciting season and a big
challenge for both riders. After this we are flying directly to
Phillip Island for our fourth test of the year and we hope to
continue the good work we’ve been doing so far with the
development of this new bike, with the aim of having it ready
for the first race in a month’s time.”

Senior Managing
Director of Yamaha Motor Company Tsuneji Togami, Senior General
Manager Masao Furusawa and Shigeto Kitagawa, head of the Engineering
Department in charge of developing the 2005 YZR-M1, were three
of the Yamaha Motor Company representatives present at today’s
Japanese event.
Mr. Togami launched the press conference by stressing the importance
of Yamaha’s race activities for fulfilling Yamaha’s
corporate mission of “We create Kando – Touching your
heart”, saying, “Through our motorcycle racing activities
we want to stimulate the motorcycle racing scene, to bring motor
sports closer to people and to help raise the next generation
of people who will lead these sports into the future.”

Mr. Kitagawa
then highlighted the four key goals of the YZR-M1 development
project in 2005 as improving the balance of the machine’s
handling stability, boosting acceleration performance and top
speed, balancing high power with fuel economy, and making the
machine more robust in terms of its adaptability to different
track conditions. “Besides winning a second consecutive
rider title,” he commented, “We also intend to go
for the manufacturer’s title with the new M1.”

Inside
the YSR- MISThree
years after making its racing debut Yamaha’s YZR-M1 clinched
the riders’ title at the hands of multiple MotoGP World
Champion Valentino Rossi. In what has been considered to be the
most significant and memorable victory in the championship’s
illustrious history, 2004 was a culmination of the gifted Italian’s
superhuman ability and the technical ingenuity of Yamaha’s
Technology Development Division. The latter, headed by 52-year-old
Masao Furusawa, provided the foundation – or menu as Furusawa
likes to describe it – for Rossi to refine the M1 into a
package capable of claiming no less than nine victories from 16
starts in 2004.

Rossi’s
‘menu’ was decided well before the 25-year-old Italian
signed with Yamaha for 2004, but the selection process and the
development of the bike that followed began in earnest the first
time Rossi tested in Sepang, Malaysia in January 2004. It was
here the flamboyant Italian chose the direction for both the M1’s
Deltabox aluminum chassis and its 220-plus horsepower engine –
having initially had four of each to choose from. Based on these
decisions the M1 found a new lease of life and continued to make
significant inroads during pre-season testing before clinching
its first unexpected win at the opening race held in Welkom, South
Africa.
Engine

From the sidelines
Yamaha may have looked as though it had opted for the same in-line
four-cylinder configuration for 2004, but Rossi’s M1 boasted
a revised firing order and four-valve cylinder-head – the
latter replacing the original five-valve head design. For Valentino
the advantages were instantly noticeable – a more predictable
power delivery, improved tyre wear and better drive – especially
in the closing stages of the race.

The revised
firing interval ensured the M1 retained the advantages of its
compact in-line four-cylinder design with the added bonus of a
power delivery resembling that of a V engine layout. As for the
layout itself Yamaha has chosen a four-axle configuration for
more compact engine, making the axle distance within the transmission
system narrow. You only need to hear the M1 to know there was
something very different about the 2004 machine. So much so that
many media nicknamed this latest incarnation as the ‘big
bang’ M1. For 2005 Yamaha’s engineers have delved
further into identifying the ideal firing cycle in an effort to
increase the peak power without sacrificing the ‘sweetness’
of the delivery.Meanwhile the four-valve per-cylinder head has
offered improved midrange and a flattened torque curve. This move
from five to four-valves has raised a few eyebrows with the media;
especially since the YZF-R1 is continuing with the five-valve
head format. But as Furusawa explains: “Although the M1
and R1 share a number of technical innovations they are designed
for different environments – the M1 is a 145kg, 230-horsepower
‘pure’ prototype racing machine and as a result its
temperament needs to be tamed to be controlled so that the rider
can explore the limits consistently lap after lap. This is where
the four-valve cylinder head helps to achieve the required ‘milder’
delivery. The R1, however, is a 172kg 180-horsepower road bike
designed to be fast, powerful and exciting in the real world.
Hence the five-valve head design.”

One feature
that Rossi came to appreciate after his first test aboard the
M1 was Yamaha’s trademark reverse rotating crank layout.
Put simply the reverse (compared to the rotation of the front
and rear wheels) rotating crank partially counteracts the gyroscopic
forces created by the front and rear wheels. Gyroscopic forces
– which can be simulated by spinning a bicycle wheel in
your hands while holding the axel – normally hinder the
bike’s ability to turn in responsively. On the M1 the reveres
rotating crank partially neutralizes this force and as a result
lightens the M1’s turn-in response. Basically Rossi only
needs to think where he wants the bike to go and its there. Just
take a look back at some of the passing moves he made under brakes
last year to see the advantages.

To ensure
that both Rossi and new signing Colin Edwards are given the best
chance to take the factory M1 to the limit Yamaha introduced the
Engine Management System (EMS). Yamaha’s software is run
through a Magneti Marelli EMS which is 25-percent smaller and
lighter than its predecessor and is responsible for monitoring
the engine braking – or Idle Control System (ICS) –and
Traction Control System (TCS).

The ICS works
as follows. During acceleration the rider controls the throttle
twist grip which is directly linked to the opening of the four
throttle bodies. However the amount the throttle bodies open under
deceleration is shared by the input of the rider and that of the
ICS. Although the rider can completely close two throttle bodies
with the twist grip the ICS influences the movement of the remaining
two throttle bodies by holding them slightly open at the appropriate
time – controlling the amount of engine braking as a result.

For 2004 the
performance of this system was influenced by real-time feedback
control based on tyre wear, weather conditions and circuit grip.
This replaced the pre-set mapping that was programmed in prior
to each race. Meanwhile it has been a similar approach with the
M1’s Traction Control System which also factors in a number
of variables including chassis performance, track conditions and
tyre wear for a real-time evaluation.
Chassis

The chassis
is where there have been the most visual changes from 2003 to
2004, and in 2005 it is a similar story. However although the
chassis has progressed further the conceptual direction remains
the same – neutral handling and predictable feedback.

The rear swingarm
is without doubt the most obvious with the introduction of the
inverted 2004 unit. This design remains a feature in 2005, lowering
the centre of gravity and allowing the new rear shock linkage
to be centralized more around the ideal circular mass of the bike
– in turn improving responsiveness. The swingarm itself
became longer over the duration of the 2004 season, a move that
has continued for this season. In simple terms the longer swingarm
can actually slow the steering character of the bike, but it has
the added advantage of making it ‘easier’ to slide
the rear of the M1 into and out of turns by responding more predictably.
This is essential in the latter stages of the race when tyre wear
becomes a factor and the grip deteriorates.

On the main
chassis the longer upper engine mounts have been revised, again,
as have the twin main spars. These changes have been made in an
effort to retain the same vertical and twist rigidity as 2004
while reducing the lateral rigidity – effectively increasing
front-end feel at high lean angles, when the advantages of suspension
travel is reduced. Suspension works most efficiently when it is
moving directly up and down – during times such as heavy
braking or acceleration in a straight line. But as a bike leans
over the efficiency of its suspension is progressively reduced.
The more you lean effectively the less suspension travel you have
available and as a result the more bumps can affect your stability
and confidence. The M1’s new chassis design effectively
compensates for this shortfall at high lean angles while still
offering the rigidity required for hard straight line braking.The
overall dimensions of the YZR-M1 have also seen it stand taller
to help get the weight over the front of the bike during these
times of deceleration. This effectively pushes the weight of the
bike directly down the fork legs, pressing the front tyre harder
into the track and increasing traction as a result. Previously
the M1’s geometry had more of a tendency to push the weight
behind the front wheel, rather than down onto it, which literally
pushed the front tyre further along.

The aerodynamics
has also been improved for 2005 while improving rider protection
and reducing the drag coefficient. The front air intake is also
more effective while still allowing increased airflow to pass
through to the hand built radiator – improving the cooling
efficiency. In addition the fuel tank has been reshaped, firstly
to accommodate the new-shaped pressurized air box, and secondly
to centralize the fuel mass closer to the centre of gravity.
For Furusawa the 2004 M1 was what he considered: “85-percent
of the bike I really wanted to build for Valentino. The 2005 M1
is much closer to what I feel our MotoGP World Champion deserves.”

Valentino
Rossi and Colin Edwards now fly directly to Phillip Island, Australia
for three days of testing from 9th-11th March, before returning
to Europe next week for the first of the two official IRTA tests
in Barcelona.

Yamaha
of Europe will show you how to build Norick
Abe's R1 factory Superbike this month in Valencia, Spain, or you
can stay home and also see how in Paddock
Garage. With free 1224 Giant Screensavers
of Abe's bike!

GAULOISES
YAMAHA TEAM TEST

Bad Weather Conditions for
Team Yamaha MotoGP Teasting at Phillip Island Phillip Island, Australia, Wed. March
9th -Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi
and Colin Edwards were back in action for their fourth test of the
year in Phillip Island, Australia, today. Unfortunately, low temperatures
and some rain made for difficult testing conditions and the team
were unable to work as effectively as they had hoped. After heavy
rain yesterday, it had eased to a slow drizzle today before stopping
mid-morning. However the sun failed to appear and as a result the
track never dried out properly and remained slippery throughout
the day.
Despite the bad weather, Rossi and Edwards completed a total of
51 and 60 laps respectively, albeit with slightly slower lap times
than at the last Phillip Island test two weeks ago. The riders focused
mainly on testing tyres for Michelin and working on the set-up of
their YZR-M1s. Edwards was slightly faster than Rossi, setting a
best lap of 1’31.27, while the World Champion finished the
day with a fastest time of 1’31.38. After three tests this
year alongside most of their fellow MotoGP competitors, for this
test the Yamaha Factory Team riders are joined only by the Spanish
Fortuna Yamaha Team duo of Ruben Xaus and Toni Elias. Xaus was third
fastest, completing 78 laps with a best time of 1’33.02, whilst
Elias completed 80 laps and set a fastest time of 1’33.19.

Colin Edwards
(1’31.27, 60 laps) “The
track conditions were really bad; it was so slick because it had
rained all day yesterday. I did 60 laps but a lot of that was
just trying to lay down some rubber on the track. We worked a
bit on set-up and tried some tyres, but it was cold and therefore
difficult to get the tyre temperature high enough to do much useful
work. We were doing good things two weeks ago here but we didn’t
have the same feeling today, but I am sure things will improve
with the weather!”

Valentino
Rossi (1’31.38, 51 laps) “Today
the weather was bad – cold and raining so we couldn’t
test as we wanted. We worked a bit on bike settings and tested
some tyres, but with the weather like this it was difficult to
judge any changes. It was much colder than the last time we were
here, and this is why the lap times are slower. I hope tomorrow
the temperature will improve and then we can do some proper testing.”
Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director

“Unfortunately
the weather didn’t allow us to test properly, but we’ve
got two more days to continue and we expected that we might lose
one day to the rain. The forecast is better tomorrow. Despite
all this, we were able to do some work and get some feedback from
set-up changes and the tyres we’ve been testing for Michelin.
However we need higher temperatures to confirm these things tomorrow.”
Ends
Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1'31.27
2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1'31.38
3. Ruben Xaus (Yamaha) 1'33.02
4. Toni Elias (Yamaha) 1'33.19

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American
Suzuki Signs Multi Year Deal to Sponsor Californa Speedway AMA
Nationals
March 08, 2005 - Suzuki’s 20th Anniversary of the GSX-R
to Highlight Superbike Weekend... The American Suzuki Motor Corporation
has entered a multi-year agreement to be the title sponsor for
the AMA Superbike doubleheader race weekend at California Speedway.

The
Suzuki Superbike Championship Weekend is scheduled for April 29
– May 1, 2005, and will take place on the 2.3-mile, 21-turn
Motorcycle Competition Course at California Speedway. California
Speedway President Bill Miller and American Suzuki Motor Corporation
Vice-President of the Motorcycle/ATV Division, Mel Harris made
the announcement.

“California
Speedway welcomes the addition of our new partner Suzuki to a
strong list of businesses who work with us to bring great events,
like the Suzuki Superbike Challenge, to the wonderful race fans
in Southern California,” Miller said. “With Suzuki’s
strong presence in the marketplace and the company’s energy
behind this event, I am sure the momentum that has been established
for the AMA weekend here throughout the motorcycle community over
the last few years will continue to grow.”

A
total of five racing events will be featured during the weekend,
including Rounds Four and Five of the AMA Superbike Championship
presented by Parts Unlimited – the Southern California Area
Suzuki Dealers 100k events on Saturday and Sunday. Other races
include the AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme 60k on Saturday,
AMA Repsol Superstock Series 60k on Sunday and AMA Supersport
Championship 60k on Sunday.

“We
are excited about the 2005 road race season in general and about
racing at California Speedway in Fontana in particular,”
Harris said. “First of all, Yoshimura Suzuki has a strong
team led by the only five time AMA Superbike Champion ever –
Mat Mladin. Second, Mat and his teammates, Aaron Yates and Ben
Spies, will be racing the brand new 2005 GSX R1000 this year,
which is improved over last year’s championship winning
motorcycle.

Finally,
Southern California is a hotbed of sportbike action, and since
Suzuki is number one in the sportbike market with the GSX R line,
California Speedway is the perfect race to promote and to show
our customers how much we appreciate them.”

This
year’s Suzuki Superbike Challenge coincides with the 20th
Anniversary of Suzuki’s GSX-R. In 1985, Suzuki introduced
the GSX-R750, the first true race bike that could be safely ridden
on the street. The motorcycle manufacturer has been instrumental
in the creation of the “racer replica” category, and
changed the industry.

American
Yamaha sponsored the AMA roadrace Nationals at California Speedway
the last 3 years, but withdrew this year to spend their budget
in supporting the Laguna Seca USA round of the MotoGP where Yamaha
is the reigning Wolrd Champion.

Last year's AMA Nationals at California Speedway drew less than
1,000 paying spectators because of the poor track roadcourse design
for viewing for sportbike fans, a lack of exciting midway attractions,
and less than enthusastic marketing. Sad for a major racing facility
located in the sportbike capital of the World.

American
Honda's Assault on the 2005 AMA Championship
The American Honda assault on the AMA Superbike Championship began
last
year when the decision was made to replicate the unparalleled
success of the American Honda Formula Xtreme team. Since the start
of the development season, the American Honda team has been hard
at work to make the Honda CBR1000RR better than it was last year
when it won more races than any other motorcycle in the AMA Superbike
Championship and it carried every member of the Honda family to
a race win.

The Honda
CBR600RR's that were ridden to an unprecedented sweep of all 11
Formula Xtreme races, and a one-two championship finish, were
built in-house by the technicians and engineers of American Honda.
That same
knowledge and expertise will be applied to the Honda CBR1000RR,
now in its second year of service in the AMA Superbike wars.

In its first
year the CBR1000RR's nine wins added up to second through fourth
place finishes for the American Honda and Erion Honda riders.
The rider lineup for 2005 is familiar, with one rider returning,
a second promoted, and a third back from a season gaining experience
in MotoGP.

The ageless
veteran Miguel Duhamel returns for his 16th season of AMA racing
and 12th with Honda where he's earned all 32 of his Superbike
victories, a number which ties him for most on the all-time list.
Add to
that 40 600cc Supersport wins, eight Formula Xtreme wins, and
a lone win in 750cc Superstock, and you have a career that no
other rider can come close
to matching.

The 2005 season
kicks off on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway
where the French-Canadian will be shooting for his fifth win in
America's most prestigious road race, the Daytona 200. This year
is the first that it will be contested by Formula Xtreme machinery,
with Duhamel and the Honda CBR600RR a certainty to continue on
their success from 2004 when the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident
won eight of 11 races en route to the inaugural FX title, his
eighth AMA crown.

The Formula
Xtreme 200 is the premier race at Daytona for the first time.
It will run after the Superbike race, which will be a support
class at Daytona only.
(Read our Editorial thoughts on this poor AMA decision HERE)

Promoted to
the American Honda team as Duhamel's teammate is Californian Jake
Zemke. Zemke, 29, won his first Superbike race last year as a
member of the Erion Honda team, then backed it up with a second
win soon after. He finished third in his rookie Superbike season
and second to Duhamel in Formula Xtreme. As a former dirt tracker
and speedway racer, Zemke has an eclectic racing resume and range
of experience that shows in his ability to handle the Superbike.

Back with
the Erion Honda team after a one-year hiatus is Kurtis Roberts.
In his previous six-year stint with Erion Honda, the youngest
son of Kenny
Roberts won three titles; two in Formula Xtreme and a 600cc Supersport
crown. Last year Kurtis followed his brother Kenny to the MotoGP
circus where he rode for his father's team. Injuries kept him
out for much of the season, but he's completely healthy and ready
to attack Daytona, a track where he's had some success. Roberts,
26, won the highly-competitive Daytona Supersport races in 2000
and again in 2003; that year he came third to Duhamel and Ben
Bostrom in a Honda sweep of the Daytona 200 podium.

All in all,
a strong lineup of successful motorcycles and riders that will
continue to make Honda the dominant brand in the AMA Superbike
Championship.

HURRY
- ALMOST GONE!
2005 Fast Dates, Garage Girls Calendars!

Now
in Solid Colors, too!
Dealers Welcome

hot
off the mouse pad from Sudco....Daijiro Commerative GP
Helmet Computer MiceThe
Grand Prix Mouse is an exact 1/15th scale replica of the Shoei
helmet worn by 250cc World Grand Prix Champion Daijiro who passed
away tragicaly in 2003 from a race injury, and became the first
Japanese rider to be inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame. His
commerative GP Helmet Mouse is available in the two different
trademark Blue / Yellow and Red / Yellow color schemes worn by
Daijiro, and have all the hot race features like an 800dpi optical
laser for smooth tracking, left/right click functions for precise
turn-in, and a quick throttle scrolling function. Included is
a long, 36in. detachable USB cable for stealth operation when
the tech inspector stops by. The GP Mouse is compatible with both
superstock Windows (98 and later) and superbike Apple OS machinery.

Get
your entry in now before the grid is full. The Daijiro Commerative
Grand Prix Mouse is only available in America from Sudco International
to Dealers,
and Retail direct for $47.00.

Honda
CBR1000RR
Race PreparationWe
show and tell you how you can modify your own CBR1000RR to Ten
Kate World Superbike, and Al Ludington's Miguel Duhamel AMA Superbike
specs exclusively inPaddock Garage.

Supermodels
who
like to get (us) wet...

Just Released!

Sports
Illustrated
Swimsuit 2005 DVD

Maxim
Swimsuit DVD
hosted by MTV's Rachel Perry

Collect
a piece of history...

Pamela Anderson
with Miguel Duhammel's Yoshimura Big Poppa

New
racing contingency program aimed at encouraging racers to get
Ducati's on the track.DUCATI ANNOUNCES OVER $850,000
IN NEW RACING CONTINGENCY PROGRAM
Cupertino, CA - Feb. 25, 2005 - Two new racing contingency programs
were announced today by Ducati North America; the Professional
Program and the Club Program. Together, these programs provide
$871,000 available for racers on Ducati motorcycles. The new
programs further demonstrate Ducati's commitment to racing in
North America as already seen by the addition of Neil Hodgson
to the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin factory AMA Superbike team
to partner Eric Bostrom.

The second
program, called the Ducati Dealer Racing Rewards, is focused
on Club level racing and includes cash and product certificate
prizes (redeemable for Ducati parts, accessories, apparel, or
dealer labor) in CCS,
AFM, OMRRA, WMRRA, Canadian Thunderbike, WSMC, and CMRA. The
CCS series has
a total prize posting of $295,000.

"This
is the most aggressive racing contingency program Ducati has
ever offered and it is a demonstration of our commitment to
racing in North America. We want people to consider racing a
Ducati this season because we are a genuine alternative to the
mass market products and racing is in our blood. We are World
Superbike Champions and we intend to mount a serious challenge
in AMA Superbike in 2005. The grass roots of racing produce
the heroes of tomorrow and we want as many of them as possible
to learn their
craft on a Ducati. " says Michael Lock, Ducati North America
CEO.

Better than American!
British Sportbike Magazines Naked
and Exposed!FastDates.com rates the top 7 hard core
British sportbike magazines where bikes, half naked babes
and roadracing are the norm-
British Sportbike mag Review HERE